Wherever one goes in Lévis, people talk about the dramatic view of Quebec City across the St. Lawrence River. True, that panorama is a great attraction, but the focus on the fascinating opposite shore is not really fair to Lévis, which has a character, history and terrific event calendar of its own.

Gîte Kezako, a B & B built high on a bluff in Vieux Lévis, has that distinctive panorama, but it also has so much more. It’s a family affair, warm and personable, in a repurposed medical clinic, circa 1900.

A B & B is born

Marie-Hélène Guité transformed a vintage red brick building into an attractive four-room B & B. It took two years and all the muscle she could muster. She didn’t do the construction by herself, but she did supervise. And, assisted by her children — Marianne, 18, Juliette, 11, and Victor, 14 — she made major plans. I was impressed. Guité is a former banker with Groupe Desjardins who worked mostly in Canada and also in Africa. But she is not a woman with a background in construction.

“We had a great contractor,” she said. “He was flexible and helpful and he listens. It’s a good thing, because my only work experience was as a banker.”

The team started with a fine, stately structure, but made significant improvements. First, to maximize that famous view, they added on a wide, wrap-around veranda and furnished this outdoor living room with regal teak lounge chairs that Guité had shipped from Africa.

Indoors, the B & B has four guest rooms with crisp, white lacquered furniture and soft grey accents against dark oak trim. Each room has air-conditioning, a flat-screen television and private bathrooms with walk-in showers and good hardware. A smart decorator, as well as a construction supervisor, Guité eliminated curtains and rugs and went with window shutters and polished dark wood floors — a cleaner look.

There are lots of contrasts, old and new, such as the modern chandelier dangling over the antique staircase and the modern painting near an arched ceiling.

The inn’s highlight is the sunroom where breakfast is served, still with that fabulous view of the river and the far shore. Guité’s repertoire includes smoked salmon omelettes, berry crêpes, French toast and bagels au gratin, as well as yogurt, granola, juice and cheeses.

Hot summer happenings

Lévis is an appealing city of 140,000 built on three levels — the waterfront with its ferry and shipping docks; the historic district of Old Lévis, which grew up in the 1800s along a steep escarpment overlooking the St. Lawrence River; and downtown, a modern, commercial city on a plateau.

The Parcours des Anses is a cycling path that runs for 15 kilometres along Lévis’s waterfront. If you start at the dock for La Traverse (the ferry across the St. Lawrence), you can ride west toward the Quebec City bridges and cross the Pont de Québec to the capital — high above the rushing St. Lawrence River — and connect to Promenade Samuel de Champlain on the Quebec City side. Or you can simply hop the ferry, a lovely boat ride on a beautiful day. The Parcours also links to La Cycloroute de Bellechasse, a 74-kilometre journey east of Lévis through rural landscapes and historic villages with steepled churches.

One of these quaint dwellings is Maison Alphonse-Desjardins, originally the home of the founder of the Caisse populaire de Lévis in 1900. The landmark institution was the first savings and credit co-operative in North America, created mainly to extend credit to Quebec’s working class and farmers. With headquarters at this cottage, Alphonse’s wife, Dorimène, supervised the first “caisse-pop” while she raised 10 children. Desjardins eventually expanded in Canada and the U.S., and Alphonse is considered one of the most influential businessmen in Quebec’s history.

The streets of Vieux Lévis will dance and swing during the eighth annual Festival Jazz etcetera (co-sponsored by Desjardins). Running Aug. 7 to 10, the program of about 50 shows, including animation for youngsters, will take place at outdoor stages, restaurants and bars, and even on the ferry. Most shows are free. Two indoor venues are l’Église Notre-Dame and the cultural centre l’Anglicane. The lineup includes alumni of the Montreal Jazz Festival: awarding-winning chanteuse Angel Forrest, bluesman and harmonica player Guy Bélanger, and Yves Leveillé and his quartet. There will be extra excitement: Les Grands Feux Loto-Québec will present fireworks on Aug 9.

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